Talking with . . .   Stride

Interview with bassist Marcus Johnson
Texas progressive metallers Stride have made an impact in a short period of time. The band was formed by guitarist Joel Gregoire, bassist Marcus Johnson, drummer Matt Kanzler, and keyboardist Rick Flores in the late nineties. They were unable to find a suitable singer so they went ahead and recorded their independent debut, Music Machine, as an instrumental group. A year later they released a Christmas album, Bah Humbug, but it was their signing with Sensory and addition of new vocalist Gary Belin which set the stage for Imagine. Imagine is an excellent progressive rock album that fits in with the recent Circus Maximus album as two of the best albums of the genre. Here is bassist Marcus Johnson for some information.

How did the members of Stride hook up with one another?
Joel and Matt met at M.I.T. in Hollywood and started jamming. They moved to Houston because they couldn't get into the L.A. music scene at that time. They snatched up Rick from another band and Stride was formed.

Tell me about your experience at college and how it shaped the music you create today.
Well, being in that environment at M.I.T. really set the pace for motivation, dedication, style, work ethics. Going to Music Institute also opened our minds to all types of music.

Music Machine was your first release and it's instrumental- why? Did you not find a suitable vocalist or did you prefer to make an instrumental album?
After an extensive search for a singer, we couldn't find the right voice for Stride. Rather than keep music shelved and stay couped up in a jam room, we decided to put out an instrumental album. We even have a song on the album called N.S.A. (No Singers Available). We still have the passion to write instrumentals but always were on the lookout for a singer. We just didn't want to waste time in the process.

There's also the Bah Humbug c.d., explain the reasons for this release.
Stride did a Chrismas show doing some Trans Siberian Orchestra tunes and arranging "Oh Holy Night." The show as such a hit and it birthed Bah Humbug. Don't be surprised to see something like this again in the future.

When and how did you hook up with Gary?
We have known Gary for years. He was in some big local bands. As a matter of fact, Gary was in a band with Blas Elias (drummer for Slaughter) back in the day. When the opportunity came, we got him involved with the band and in 2002 Stride finally had the vocalist.

How did you know Gary was the right vocalist for Stride?
Well, when you listen to progressive bands they tend to have similarities. We wanted a vocalist with a different style and melody. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what makes Gary the right vocalist. He just is.

How did you hook up with Sensory? Do you feel your band is a good fit for the label?
We are honored to be with Sensory and along side other Sensory bands like Circus Maximus and Redemption. It's definitely a step in the right direction.

How was your experience at Prog Power this year?
Totally amazing. We were embraced with open arms. It was such a great experience. We were so honored to be sharing the stage with those great bands.

Now that Imagine has been released and you've had time to reflect, how do you feel about the album?
We are so proud of the album with the budget we had to do it with.

Is there anything you would've done differently or would like to change when you record your next album?
We are hoping to have an increased budget for the next album. We are looking forward to more time and production on the next one.

The core of Stride has been together for nearly a decade now, what difficulties did you have to overcome as a band to keep Stride going and to get where you are today?
The way we have overcome difficulties and adversities was one simple method. We treated Stride as family. We used all the values of that and applied it. Lots of patience and compromise.

Final comments?
We appreciate everyones support and hope the fans dig the album. We hope to see everyone soon on tour. Check out the website www.strideonline.com you can get all our merch on the site.

Discography:
2005... Imagine (Sensory)
2003... Bah Humbug
2002... Music Machine

Current line-up:
Gary Belin... vocals
Joel Gregoire... guitars
Marcus Johnson... bass
Matt Kanzler... drums
Rick Flores... keyboards

Stride Online

TTM reviews of albums by Stride:
	2005 - 'Imagine'