Various interviews

Suicidal Poets launched onto the Music landscape in 1999. Right from the beginning, a mix of well received live shows & extensive internet exposure has been like Opening a Window to the World!
Since then it has been an upward spiral of success.

Hitting the #1 spot overall on soundclick.com's Hottest Unsigned Band and maintaining that spot for over 2 1/2 years was just the beginning. In the summer of 2000 we were featured four times on the mp3tv NOW channel as the best band of the Top Ten best websites in the world(those websites reached 135,000,000 viewers). Since then, we have been featured on numerous Internet radio stations and are currently getting airplay worldwide. To date Suicidal Poets have ranked #1 in the rock, pop and alternative charts in approximately twelve different countries including USA, UK, Canada, Germany, and Ireland. The band has also been featured as the #1 hottest undiscovered rock band on the MTVundiscovered site.
Along with releasing a full, 12-song CD, our music has been included on several compilation CDs. Our eclectic style of music ranges from rock, through pop-rock, to gothic folk...and beyond!
Led by lead singer Michelle and bassist Carmelo Risquet,who write the band's music, we have even caught the attention of major producers like Lewis A. Martinee, who produced artists such as Vanessa Williams, Enrique Iglesias and The Pet Shop Boys, to name a few. In addition to these offers, our music is being considered for several movie soundtracks.
Michelle & Carmelo have also been interviewed live on The Joe Franklin radioshow.

Why this name?
It's a combination of reasons. It started with the song 'Suicidal Poets'.
Then one night, Carmelo was playing so furiously that he ripped the calluses off his fingers, and started bleeding all over the stage.
That made the name stick!

Do you play live?
Most certainly...we Love it! We have played in many clubs in NYC and the surrounding area. We've played at: The Knitting Factory, Arlene's Grocery, The Bitter End, Kenny's Castaways, Mean Fiddler, The Blue Room, Manny's Carwash, Images, Rosie's, Babe's Place, Orphan Annie's, Fibber Magee's, The Orange Bear, and Limerick House, to name a few.
Suicidal Poets have opened for, as well as backed, legends such as David Amram & Pete Seeger.
We love performing, especially those moments when the audience is visually captivated.

Band History:
It all started in a bar called Rosie's in NYC in 1998. Michelle was singing Irish tunes with another act when Carmelo introduced himself and expressed an interest in forming a band and writing music together. Michelle said "Yes", and Carmelo(bass) went about gathering musicians.
Soon 'Iggy' Joe Ingnacio Rodriguez(drums), Ish-Paul Perez(keyboards), Dale Streit(guitar), and Hugh Ford(lead guitar) were on board, and the original Suicidal Poets were formed.
In the beginning, rehearsals were held in Iggy's box of a room, "where you couldn't swing a cat", but a lot of good lyrics and music were born there.
Soon Carmelo and Michelle set out to build a proper rehearsal/studio space and start recording the band. Many of the great songs from these original sessions can still be heard at a live show today.
Most of these original musicians still contribute from time to time, although a new, tight core has formed around Michelle & Carmelo.

Suicidal Poets is:
Steve Aloyisus Campbell - acoustic & electric
guitars; joined in 2002
Alex Rojas - drums; 2004
Michelle's vocals and Carmelo's bass and synthesizers, of course, remain.

Happily, Iggy is sometimes available to add additional drums or percussion. As Carmelo is fond of saying,"Once a Suicidal Poet, always a Suicidal Poet!".
Former guitarist Dale Streit remains involved with projects with Carmelo , as well as Hugh Ford.

Suicidal Poets continues to perform in and around NYC and is busy in the studio recording new tracks for a CD with an expected early 2008 release.

Your influences?
All of our band members come from different musical backgrounds and have different tastes in music. Our main objectives are to stay away from everyone's style in order to stay original. The band consists of artists specifically selected for their particular talent and chemistry.
If you ask about individual musicians, Michelle loves Evanescence, Sinead O'Connor, The Cranberries, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Dido, Madonna, and Mary Black. Carmelo listens to Tool, Moby, Linkin Park, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Yes, Pink Floyd, ELP and lots of Jazz. Steve is into The Who, Radiohead, and The Pogues. Our drummer Alex loves Santana, Chicago and Grand Funk. Our sound and style is a product of the freedom of musical expression that is maintained in the band. Every past and present band member has contributed a little piece of their world to our music.

Anything else...?
Collectively we have the talent, determination and the art...that's what is all about!