Have you ever gone to a concert as a die hard fan of the headliners, only to end up leaving the show as an even bigger fan of the opener? You leave the show asking yourself, “Where has this band been my whole life?” and “Why are they not headlining?” That is a very common case when it comes to the Los Angeles-based quartet, Dommin. Formed in 2000 by lead singer and guitarist Kristofer Dommin, the group consists of his childhood friend Billy James on bass, Konstantine joined on keyboards in 2006, followed by drummer Cameron Morris in 2008.
Dommin’s sound is one that cannot be categorized into genres or subgenres of rock and roll. With heavy guitars, orchestra-resembling keyboards and Kristofer’s intensely gripping vocals, the band has an incredibly romantic yet dark and emotional sound, creating a realm they can call their own. In Kristofer’s own words he describes the band’s overall message, “It's about finding love, losing love and personal reflection - universal themes that transcend genre distinctions. The emotional element is more defining than how much keyboards, guitars or drums we have in a song."

Each song is a unique story told straight from the heart with painful lyrics, various styles and moods all with such musical precision, beautifully demonstrating their individuality and creativity. Their live shows are sonically and visually impressive, to say the least, easily putting them in the admirable category of “they sound even better live than on a recording”. Currently signed to Roadrunner Records, Dommin are one of the hardest working bands out there right now. They are undeniably dedicated to their fans, never leaving a venue before doing a meet and greet post-set, leaving quite an impression on their old and new found admirers. I think it is safe to say they are the best new band to grace the musical horizon, and I have a feeling they’re not going away anytime soon.

I had the privilege of chatting with Kristofer Dommin himself as they wrapped up their U.S. tour on night one of their three-night stint at The Fillmore at Irving Plaza. It was a pleasant surprise to learn how humble and down to earth the charismatic crooner remains in this unpredictable world that is the music industry.

JELENA GLAVIC: What was the inspiration behind your album Love Is Gone ?

KRISTOFER DOMMIN: The album is pretty much a collection of songs I’ve written over the past 10 years. We had a bunch of songs, and we wanted to see which ones got the most attention, the biggest reactions (via MySpace, etc). After picking those first and seeing a pattern, we realized they were all the heart-breaking ones and ones pretty much about failed relationships and heartbreak in general. So that essentially became the theme and concept of the album aside from a couple of the tracks here and there that are a little different.

JG: You’ve been writing songs for quite a while now…

KD: Yeah I probably have the next four albums written. It’s almost like telling a story – what do you want to go first, the first impression…

JG: Chapter 1.

KD: Chapter 1, exactly. We thought that by telling my story and to come out saying that the story doesn’t begin with a clean slate, this is someone who has gone through some pain.

JG: Well you’re writing about what you know so well.

KD: Yeah and that is really the thing that I care about the most. When I have people that I love or care about the most, and my bonds with those people are damaged or broken, that’s what inspires me to write.

JG: What would you like your fans, or even someone who is seeing you guys tonight for the first time, to take away from your music?

KD: My goal in terms of live performances, especially for someone who has never heard of us, is to just move them in some way. If at some point during the show they don’t get chills or have their hair stand up on the back of their neck…if they’re not moved in some way and get that feeling in their chest, then we didn’t do our job. That to me is the purpose of music and art. When you can look at something and have your breath taken away, that’s what it’s all about. If you can watch a band and walk away and say, “Oh they’re good musicians,” that’s one thing. But being able to walk away and say, “I really felt that…”

JG: You guys definitely know how to win over your crowds. I can’t tell you how many times I hear people saying they came for the headliners but ended up being so impressed with your performance they left the show as new Dommin fans. Is it safe to say that your years of hard work is finally paying off?

KD: It’s certainly yielding results, but as far as paying off monetarily, no. Haha. But in terms of touching people and affecting people, and making some sort of difference then definitely.

JG: Plus you’ve been touring so much lately.

KD: We’ve pretty much been touring non-stop since January of 2009 with about a month off in between. This last tour we left home January 31st with Lacuna Coil and then we jumped on the HIM tour from there and continued the tour here in the States. It’s been amazing; I like to think that we’re winning over the audience.

JG: I expect you guys to be headlining soon!

KD: Yeah in late July we’re going on our own to do some small intimate club dates.

JG: Any summer festivals?

KD: I know we’re doing a lot of festivals in Europe in June. We’re going over to do some German and U.K. festivals for the first half of June.

JG: You must be so excited!

KD: Yeah I’ve heard lots about it. Haha. I’m pretty naïve about it all, to be honest.

JG: Which is a good thing, actually. At the end of the day, what does keep you so humble and down to earth when it comes to all these lovely privileges you’ve been given.

KD: Maybe just a little bit of wisdom. (smiling) It has been a very long road; we’ve had every door slammed in our face. And I’m not trying to boast that I’m some wise man or anything, but realize the fickleness of it all, and I realize that it could be all gone. We love what we are doing and hope we can continue what we are doing.

JG: …and you certainly don’t take any of it for granted.

KD: Not at all.

JG: Now that you’re signed to Roadrunner Records, how important is it to you to be a signed band versus doing it all on your own?

KD: At every label there are people who really love what they do, and then there’s some that look at it like another project across their desk. If the record doesn’t work, they pass it on and then another project comes across their desk. They don’t always have their heart in it…some people do. Like with every job some people really care about what they’re doing and then to others it’s just a job. I hear a lot of people saying, “Oh the record industry is over just do it on your own.” But the fact of the matter is that when it comes to media, press, and things like that, they don’t pay attention to anybody who’s not on a label. So until that industry changes, it’s still going to be more beneficial to be signed to a label, even if you’re selling everything you’ve got away, as far as your rights. Haha. You’ve got the chance to make your music worldwide and make pennies or keep everything you’ve got and only be heard by a few people in whatever town you’re from.

JG: So how many albums are you contracted to do with Roadrunner?

KD: They have us for I think 6 or 7. Could be good, could be bad. Haha.

JG: That’s awesome! That is really amazing, especially considering you’ve been working for this for almost a decade, having so many doors closed on you. What advice would you give to aspiring musicians who are currently in the position you were in only a few years ago?

KD: I usually tell people two things, and they are the two things that have helped me the most. One is to be critical and honest with yourself. You’ve got to have good songs and if your songs suck, you’ve got to be able to look at yourself and say, “This song sucks.” Throw it away, and don’t be so attached to something. Don’t marry your songs to the point where you do it one way and can’t look at it at any other. Be willing to trash it and tear it apart. You have to be willing to step outside yourself and ask, “Is this crap?” The other thing I would tell people is to play with as many people as you can, get as much experience as you can. The way that helped me was that I had Dommin as a project that wasn’t going anywhere. Nobody was paying attention, we were from the valley outside of L.A. nobody was answering our calls, etc. It wasn’t until I joined another band that was looking for a guitar player; it was through that gig that my demo got handed to the guitar player in that band who handed it to Lucas Banker. (Dommin’s producer)

JG: You never know who know’s who.

KD: Exactly!

JG: So what happened to that band?

KD: It was weird, that band broke up after being together for about a year, and then six months later I get the call from Lucas saying, “Hey, I have your demo. I really love what you’re doing.” And that came at a time when I was really about to give it all up.

JG: How long ago was that?

KD: 2005. And I had been doing this since 2000. It wasn’t until 2005 that Dommin became more serious.

JG: Was it difficult finding an audience for you guys over in Los Angeles?

KD: Yeah, absolutely, because there is SO much going on over there. There are so many bands that will pay to play, like little Bobby will sell you tickets and play at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go.

JG: In which case they don’t care what you sound like at all. Haha

KD: No, not at all. It may only be on certain nights, but it’s still the case. There’s no scene happening (in L.A.). People don’t usually go to rock club venues to watch bands out there, unless it’s a band they know. Nobody goes, “I’m just going to go to the Rock Club and see who’s playing tonight.” That doesn’t really happen; you could have a club that’s completely dead on a week night simply because nobody knows who the band is. I remember playing a show at this place called Coconut Teaszer (Hollywood) back in 2000, and we literally played for the sound guy.

JG: (both laughing) Well maybe that sound guy knew someone!

KD: You’re right, you never know!

JG: So do you like playing New York City?

KD: Yes, I love it here. I love the scene… and I LOVE the food! Unfortunately, when we’re in New York it’s usually come in and come right out. Not enough down time.

JG: There never really is! I think you’ve definitely developed a strong following, and you’ve only just begun. What are your hopes for the future of Dommin?

KD: I would love to continue doing what we’re doing, and put out several more records. As far as live shows, I would love to have more visuals, with projections and more theatrics to enhance the overall experience of the live performance.

JG: And your shows are already so intense even without all that!

Only good things to come for these guys…Check out their summer festival dates at: this location.